incompatible
adjective
in·com·pat·i·ble
ˌin-kəm-ˈpa-tə-bəl 
1
: not compatible: such as
a
: incapable of association or harmonious coexistence
incompatible colors
b
: unsuitable for use together because of undesirable chemical or physiological effects
incompatible drugs
c
: not both true
incompatible propositions
d
: incapable of blending into a stable homogeneous mixture
2
: incapable of being held by one person at one time
—used of offices that make conflicting demands on the holder
incompatible
noun
Synonyms
Examples of incompatible in a Sentence
This printer is incompatible with some PCs.
the committee's incompatible goals—develop new projects and cut costs—meant that they got very little accomplished
Recent Examples on the Web
His race was incompatible with his American dreams, with his O.J.-ness.
—
Wesley Morris, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Follow-up testing was recommended if this fold was thicker than 3mm, because too much thickness there might or might not mean chromosomal or structural abnormalities that might or might not be incompatible with life.
—Clare Beams, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
At 18 weeks pregnant, the couple said they were told the fetus had multiple anomalies that were incompatible with life.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
The judge declared that the immunity provisions were also incompatible with the Windsor Framework agreement governing post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland that London struck with the European Union last year.
—Reuters, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024
In most cases, the electronic health records used by physicians are incompatible with those used by dentists, so sharing information electronically is impossible.
—Lola Butcher, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
The ruling implicitly rejected Ravensburger’s argument that the law was incompatible with the EU directive on copyright, lawyers said.
—Colleen Barry, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
End of carousel This isn’t necessarily incompatible with the responsibilities of a house and pets.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
On the surface, these two exceedingly different, seemingly incompatible operas have little in common.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
Wesley Morris, New York Times, 12 Apr. 2024
Follow-up testing was recommended if this fold was thicker than 3mm, because too much thickness there might or might not mean chromosomal or structural abnormalities that might or might not be incompatible with life.
—Clare Beams, Vogue, 5 Apr. 2024
At 18 weeks pregnant, the couple said they were told the fetus had multiple anomalies that were incompatible with life.
—Nadine El-Bawab, ABC News, 4 Apr. 2024
The judge declared that the immunity provisions were also incompatible with the Windsor Framework agreement governing post-Brexit trade rules for Northern Ireland that London struck with the European Union last year.
—Reuters, NBC News, 28 Feb. 2024
In most cases, the electronic health records used by physicians are incompatible with those used by dentists, so sharing information electronically is impossible.
—Lola Butcher, Smithsonian Magazine, 29 Mar. 2024
The ruling implicitly rejected Ravensburger’s argument that the law was incompatible with the EU directive on copyright, lawyers said.
—Colleen Barry, Quartz, 28 Mar. 2024
End of carousel This isn’t necessarily incompatible with the responsibilities of a house and pets.
—Carolyn Hax, Washington Post, 9 Mar. 2024
On the surface, these two exceedingly different, seemingly incompatible operas have little in common.
—Mark Swed, Los Angeles Times, 28 Feb. 2024
These examples are programmatically compiled from various online sources to illustrate current usage of the word 'incompatible.' Any opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback about these examples.
Dictionary Entries Near incompatible
Cite this Entry
“Incompatible.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/incompatible. Accessed 16 Apr. 2024.
Copy CitationKids Definition
incompatible
adjective
in·com·pat·i·ble
ˌin-kəm-ˈpat-ə-bəl
1
: not able to be brought together in harmony
their personalities were incompatible
incompatible colors
2
a
: not able to be used together
incompatible computer systems
b
: unsuitable for use together because of undesirable chemical or bodily effects
incompatible blood types
Medical Definition
incompatible
adjective
in·com·pat·i·ble
ˌin-kəm-ˈpat-ə-bəl
1
: unsuitable for use together because of chemical interaction or antagonistic physiological effects
incompatible drugs
2
of blood or serum
: unsuitable for use in a particular transfusion because of the presence of agglutinins that act against the recipient's red blood cells
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